Cigar-mold



(No Model.)

S. K. SHOUP & J. A. HOEFPLER.

CIGAR, MOLD. No. 555,978. Patented Mar. 10,1896.

W1 5 \E J a 5 a1 -4! a M M e3 Nrrn STATES WATENT FFlQE.

SAMUEL K. SIIOUP AND JOHN A. I-IOEFFLER, OF CRESTON, OHIO.

CIGAR-MOLD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,978, dated March 10, 1896.

' Application filed April 12, 1895. Serial No. 545,470. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that we, SAMUEL K. SHOUP and JOHN A. I'IOEFFLER, citizens of the United States, residing at Creston, in the county of WVayne and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar- I Molds, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is broadly related to that class of cigar-molds which comprise a base portion having a depression therein for receiving the cigar-bunch, and a follower or compressing portion which is formed with a rib or projection capable of fitting in the depression of the base portion and having a concavity to conform with the shape of the cigar, so as to compress and shape the bunch, and the invention is more specifically related to molds wherein means are provided for dislodging or ejecting the cigar-bunch when the molding operation is complete.

Ordinarily the removal of the cigar from the molding-grooves explained above is a very difficult and precarious task, since great care is required to prevent breaking the cigar, and the most skillful operators are liable to be unsuccessful at times and break the form of the bunch. This makes it necessary to remold the tobacco.

The object of our invention is, therefore, to provide superior means for dislodging the molded bunch of tobacco, so that it will never be broken and so that the operation of ren1oving may be performed in less time than before.

To this end the invention consists in certain novel features of construction which exist in a mold made after our invention, and which will be fully described hereinafter and finally embodied in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings our invcn-- other words, a mold with the capacity of one cigar only, since this is all that is essential to the proper illustration of the invention; but it will be understood that in practice, and for the sake of convenience and speed, each base portion is provided with a plurality of molds,

whereby both speed and convenience are enhanced.

Referring to the drawings by reference-numerals, 1 indicates the base plate or portion, which is preferably formed of wood, and which has formed integral therewith or rigidly secured thereto the upwardly-projecting ribs 2. The ribs 2 extend transversely across the base 1, and, while their outer sides extend parallel with each other, their inner or adjacent sides are curved outwardly or are sigmoidal in form, so as to produce that shape characteristic of and essential to the cigar.

The numeral 3 indicates the follower, or compressor or top portion of the mold, which has suitably secured to its under side a strip or cleat 4:, the lower side of which hasa rib5 thereon. This rib also has sigmoidally curved sides, or sides which curve outwardly and away from each other, so that the rib may fit snugly between the ribs 2 in the operation of compressing the cigar, the length of rib 5being equal to that of the ribs 2. The under side of the rib 5 is formed concave, and the chord or degree of this concavity corresponds to that of the curve in ribs 2, so that when the rib 5 is fitted between the other ribs a regular and correct mold will be formed.

All of the aforegoing will be recognized as the usual mold of the art. Our improvements will now be described.

Formed in the upper side of the base 1 and between the ribs 2 is a groove 0, which extends the whole width of the base, and which tapers slightly in width, the part at the small end of the mold being smaller than that at the larger end. Fitting snugly within this groove 6, and capable of exactly filling the same, is the dislodging-plate '7, which is arranged to be movable vertically out of the groove 6 and into the cigar-receiving space. The upper side, or more properly the edge, of the plate 7 is concave in shape, so as to form a part of the bottom of the cigar-receiving space when the plate is seated completely within the groove 6. This concavity, like that of the rib 5, is of a chord equal to that of the inner sides of the ribs 2, all of said parts co-operating to form a completely-symmetrical mold.

Extending longitudinally with the base 1 and formed in. the under side thereof is the groove 8, within which the rock-shaft 9 is seated so as to be capable of oscillating therein. This rock-shaft is held in place by means of countersunk cleats 10, secured in turn by screws passing into the base 1, while the righthand end of the shaft 9 is extended beyond the base and formed with a thumb-piece 11. By this means the rock-shaft may be oscillated.

12 indicates an arm or spur of the groove 8, which is formed directly under the groove 6, and which has in communication with it a vertically extending passage running into said groove 6. Located in this groove-arm 12 is the arm 13, which is rigidly secured to shaft 9 and projects at right angles therefrom, the free end of the arm 13 being reduced and fitted within an opening in the lower end of the vertical rod 14, whereby arm 13 and rod 14 are connected to each other. Thus when the arm 13 swings with shaft 9 the swinging movement of said arm will be transformed into a vertically-reciprocating movement at the rod 14.

The rod 14 is located in the vertical passage which communicates with the groove-arm l2 and has its upper end rigidly connected to the dislodging-plate 7. By these means the said plate 7 may be raised or lowered by oscillating the shaft 9, which," through the medium of arm 13 and rod 14:, will reciprocate the dislodging-plate. The ends of the plate 7 extend to the sides of the base 1 and have formed therein the notches 15,-.which are one for each end. These notches 15 are respectively adapted to have the guide-wires 16 pass through them, and these guide-wires are extended horizontally, one at each end of the plate 7, and have their ends secured to the outer ends of the ribs 2. The purpose of the guide-wires 16 is to limit the movement of the plate 7, and they are arranged so that the plate may drop completely into groove 6 and arise to a point about onequarter of an inch from the bottom of the mold or cigar-receiving recess.

In the use of our invention the compressing or follower portion 3 is removed from the base portion 1 and the tobacco to be made into cigars placed in the mold recess or depression formed by the ribs 2, whereupon the portion 3 is placed over the base and the rib 5 allowed to enter the mold-recess and press upon the tobacco, which will mold the same into the requisite shape, as those skilled in the art will know. When this has been done and it is desired to remove the molded tobacco so that the wrapper may be placed thereon, the portion 3 should be lifted off the base and the rock-shaft 9 oscillated so as to raise arm 13.

This raising of arm 13 will produce a corresponding rise of the plate '7, which will lift the cigar partly out of the mold and disconnect it sufficiently to permit its complete removal without loss of time or danger of injury to the cigar. After the cigar has been removed and it is desired to continue the operation the shaft 9 should be reversed, so as to return the plate 7, whereupon the mold may be filled again and the operation repeated. In the commercially complete device, where the plurality of molds are formed on one base portion, each mold will be constructed as a duplicate of the one here illustrated and the shaft 9 will extend the entire length of the base, so as to be common to all the dislodging-plates.

. Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cigar-mold the combination of the base-section having two parallel ribs arising therefrom and shaped as a cigar, a dislodgingplate movable vertically between the ribs, a crankshaft connected with the dislodgingplate, and a follower-section operating with the basesection, substantially as described.

2. In a cigar-mold the combination of the base-section having two parallel ribs arising therefrom and shaped as a cigar, a dislodgingplate movable vertically between the ribs and provided with limiting-guides at the respective ends thereof, a crank-shaft connected with the dislodging-plate, and a follower-section operating with the base-section, substantially as described.

3. In a cigar-mold the combination ofbasesection having two parallel ribs arising therefrom and shaped as a cigar, a dislodging-plate movable vertically between the ribs and provided on its upper surface with a concavity adapted to the shape of the cigar, a crankshaft connected with the dislodging-plate, and a follower-section operating with the base-section, substantially as described.

4. In a cigar-mold the combination of basesection having two parallel ribs arising therefrom and shaped as a cigar, a dislodging-plate movable vertically between the ribs and provided on its upper face with a channel that conforms with the shape of the cigar, and at the respective ends thereof with limitingguides, a crank-shaft connected with the dislodging-plate, and a follower-section operating with the base-section, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL K. SHOUP.

JOHN A. HOEFFLER.

W'itness'es:

EVERETT STONE, T. L. CLEAR. 

